Delight on Frozen Bones (Legend Of The Stars #4)

Chapter Twenty-four

Training

Patuloy ang pagsunod ng mga mata ko sa walang tigil na paglalakad ni Haring Czar. Pang-ilang beses na niya itong umalis at muling bumalik sa pwesto niya sa loob ng librarya. Mukhang wala na rin siyang pakialam sa mga librong nakakalat sa paanan niya at inaapakan lang ang mga iyon. Nahihibang na siya?

He seemed to rushing. Well, in times like these, rulers would naturally rush. I've been in meetings with kings and queens so I've known. But here am I, utterly stunned. I didn't know panic is also possible for the elven king. Lalo na't palagi ko naman siyang nakikitang kalmado nitong mga nakaraang araw.

"I know I'm in no position to advise you in any way, but could you please calm down for a moment?" I said respectfully as much as I can.

An elf told me in the middle of my training that I was summoned by him. And I've been standing here for minutes now just watching him walk back and forth with books dangling all over him.

"Wait there, Starling." He commanded without even glancing at my direction as he flip another page of the book he's holding.

Napabuntong-hininga ako at sumandal sa pader. Truth be told, I think something has changed in him. Simula noong nawala si Lysandra dito ay hindi ko na siya nakikitang umalis pa sa silid na ito. While everyone's busy fixing the ruined part of their sacred tree where Lysandra and I fought, he's been here drowning himself with elven books—the oldest among the olds in Astraea, the most sacred and untouched of all. Not that any of these matter in building an army, unless he's been here for battle plans...

I shook my head. No. Elven books are nothing like that. Ilias made me read some of them already. They were nothing but... mere stories.

"King Czar," I'm loosing my patience. There are more important things I have to do. So many things we all have to prepare for. I myself need to be ready for battle—

Mother of stars... I don't sound like myself.

Napailing ulit ako at napakurap nang mapansin na nakatitig na pala sa akin ang hari. Napatikhim ako at tumayo ng matuwid. Bumuntong-hininga lang siya at umiling-iling.

"To be completely honest with you, I don't know what you hope to accomplish these past few days, Starling." He put his book down on the table. "First, you put an undying fire in my tree, then you start to help our smiths to gather weapons and took the liberty of teaching them how to use those weapons in battle. You let your little band of criminals pest around and do what they please with my people... And now you're acting like my wife's right hand."

He chuckled and tilted his head to me.

"What happened to the golden queen's assassin?"

"She decided to grace this world with her ever-so wanted aid." I answered and smirked.

"But to be completely honest with you too, I don't know what you're trying to do here. What happened to the elven king who's always lecturing everyone around?"

His shoulders tensed and fell again, sighing. "You really should do something with that mouth of yours."

I chuckled. He slightly smiled back to my surprise. Napahinto ako sa pagtawa at tinitigan siya nang mariin.

"Look, you don't like me. I can see that. I know you're only letting me in your shrine because of your wife... and Ilias—whatever. But if you summoned me here to try to stop me again—"

"I don't intend to stop you." He look down on his book with a scorn on his face. "It just seemed... pointless."

I went silent for a second.